Aberdeen Arts Centre has revealed the cool cast of its upcoming festive pantomime, The Snow Queen.
The ‘thaw-dropping’ cast is led by the Doric Dame, Philip Napier – the Arts Centre’s beloved panto dame, who barrels onto the stage as Dame Rita Rizza alongside a cast of professional acting talent.
Joining Napier for a season of north east ‘wintertainment’ are returning stars Megan Wright as the Snow Queen, Hannah Buyers as the Summer Fairy, Xander Gordon as Jack Frost, and Sarah Ord as Rudy Reindeer.
Holly Paterson, executive director at Aberdeen Arts Centre, said: “Panto season is one of the most exciting times at the Arts Centre – and with over 95% of The Snow Queen’s onstage talent hailing from the north east, this truly is a local pantomime for the people of Aberdeen.
“We’re excited to be working with TaleGate Theatre Productions again this year to bring a festive flurry of panto magic to Aberdeen, and we can’t wait for audiences to see what we have in store. The snow must go on!”
Aberdeen Arts Centre’s pantomime is produced for the seventh year in a row in conjunction with TaleGate Theatre Productions. The professional cast will be joined onstage by ensemble performers Emma Lewis and Jessica Bruce from Aberdeen College of Performing Arts, as well as talented dancers from dance school, Danz Creations.
TaleGate’s artistic director James Worthington said: “It’s wonderful to be returning to our home-from-home at Aberdeen Arts Centre with The Snow Queen – a modern panto tale packed with song and dance and plenty of surprises!
“It’s a real joy to continue to work with our professional cast that Aberdeen audiences have come to know and love, as well as welcoming the next generation of performers onto the stage. This show is going to be really special, and we’re excited to share it with you.”
In the popular panto, Jack Frost has convinced the Snow Queen to rule over Aberdonia, causing winter to last forever! Join her sister, the Summer Fairy, as she breaks the ice and saves the day, along with the fabulous panto dame – Rita Rizza – and her silly reindeer friends.
Join Aberdeen Arts Centre and TaleGate Theatre Productions for a fast-paced, laugh-a-minute frozen feast of family fun featuring hunners of local jokes, Doric, song and dance, and panto magic perfect for loons an quines of aa ages!
The Snow Queen runs from Saturday, November 28 to Sunday, December 27 at Aberdeen Arts Centre. Tickets start from £17.25 and are available from https://www.aberdeenartscentre.com/whats-on/the-snow-queen.
Aberdeen Arts Centre is an independent arts venue in the heart of Aberdeen, operated by registered charity Castlegate Arts Ltd for over a quarter of a century.
For more than 60 years, Aberdeen Arts Centre has played a crucial role in the north east’s vibrant arts scene through its programme of performances, Creative Learning Programme for children and adults, and an Artist Development Programme to support local professional creatives.
In May 2025, the centre launched the Save Aberdeen Arts Centre campaign – a three-year fundraising drive to raise £660,000 to secure its future. Individuals and corporate sponsors can find out more and donate at https://www.aberdeenartscentre.com/save-aberdeen-arts-centre.
Aberdeen Arts Centre encompasses a 350-seater auditorium; café bar; flexible spaces for performances, events, exhibitions and meetings; and the Children’s Theatre, opened by Catherine Hollingworth in the 1950s as a pioneering youth theatre (the first of its kind in the UK) and now used as a vital resource for professional artist development.
For more information, visit www.aberdeenartscentre.com or follow Aberdeen Arts Centre on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @AberdeenArtsCentre.